The drive to perfect the performance and efficiency of the shotgun has been relentless ever since the first multi-projectile weapon was fired centuries ago. It has long been recognized that by studying the pattern of a shotgun blast on a target (commonly referred to in the art as "patterning") much information can be revealed which helps the user in realizing the shotgun's full potential.
Patterning information, for example, can help explain how a shot load spreads in air, or how a barrel choke affects the shot under different load conditions. The patterning efficiency will vary depending on the velocity of the load and the type of load used. Moreover, other factors such as primer, powder, weight, shot, wad, size, etc. figure into the type of loads that may be used. Thus, the results of a patterning analysis are useful in order to find the best load for an individual's intended application, whether it be trap shooting, skeet shooting, sporting clay shooting or hunting.
The vast majority of patterning methods all rely on the use of paper targets with a 30 inch diameter circle drawn thereon and the labor intensive step of counting the number of pellet holes that are within that circle. This method has not changed substantially since the use of it referenced in the 1889 publication of shot spread and patterns reference tables compiled by the English shotgun master Charles Lancaster in his book entitled The Art of Shooting. These reference tables were compiled based on the results of numerous manual tests (i.e., shooting at targets and counting by eye the number of hits within the 30" circle). However, these reference tables only give modern day users a ballpark estimate of the percentages that they can expect as each gun barrel is unique, and pattern efficiencies will vary depending on the velocity of the load and the type of load used.
The importance of accurate and reliable patterning in order to discover the individual performance quirks of one's shotgun is not lost on modern day shotgun enthusiasts. Indeed, the shotgun literature is replete with articles on how patterning analysis will improve a shotgunner's performance. See, for example, the following articles from Shotgun Sports magazine: (1) "Choosing the Best" by John Daley (Feb. 1989); (2) "Shotgun Patterns--How and Why" by Stan Baker (April 1986); (3) "Chokes, Ranges, and Pattern Spread" by John Daley (May 1989); (4) "Full Chokes--Everyone's First Choice" by Don Zutz (May 1990); (5) "28-Gauge Mistique" by Will Harris (April 1990); and (6) "Ladies Only Please" by Sue King (June 1987).
All of the above mentioned references disclose the same conventional patterning technique of manually drawing and centering (by eye) a 30 inch diameter circle about the heavily clustered group of shothole marks in a paper target. The shooter then counts by hand the number of holes within the circle. This number is then compared to a listed pellet count to determine the spread percentage within the 30 inch diameter circle.
Another example of a manual patterning technique is disclosed in the Lyman Shotshell Handbook (2nd edition), wherein the shooter draws a 30 inch diameter circle on a brown sheet of wrapping paper and the center is marked prior to shooting. The sheet is suspended between two poles and is used as the target for the shooter. As in prior techniques, the user manually counts by hand the number of shot holes that hit the target to determine the pattern. The shooter is required to do five of such patterns to get an accurate analysis of the shotgun spread.
Both variations of the above patterning techniques of presenting the 30" reference circle on the target (i.e., by drawing it on the target prior to shooting or centering it about a heavily clustered group of shot hole marks on the target after shooting) still require the labor intensive step of counting the shot hole marks.
Other manual methods of patterning include drawing several smaller diameter circles within the standard 30 inch diameter circle of a paper target. Division into smaller annular rings provides more information to the shooter on radial pellet distribution and density. Such a radial pellet method is disclosed in Shotgun Sports magazine, "Pattern Quirks--Radial Pellet Movement" by John Daley (Feb. 1990).
The Hornady Company of Grand Island, Nebraska teaches to segment a traditional 30 inch circle in a 12 cell pattern through their commercially available pattern sheets. The cells (or quadrants) assist the shooter in determining the point of aim of the shotgun after manually counting the shot holes on each quadrant.
Other examples of manual techniques for patterning shotgun blasts include the commercially available Winchester Shotgun Pattern Sheets (available for many years), and the PatternRite System supplied by PatternRite of Miami, Okla., which is claimed to be patented. The Winchester Shotgun Pattern Sheets teach to use a series of 30 inch circles. Each circle is superimposed on the other circles and each circle is slightly off center with respect to the other circles. This facilitates the centering of the shotgun pattern before hand counting is commenced. The PatternRite System provides a collapsible steel stand and backboard wherein 50 preprinted paper pattern sheets are provided to be used with the backboard, each sheet having a preprinted actual size target in the shape of a game bird.
As can be seen from the above references, the patterning and analysis techniques for studying shotgun blasts are manual and have not changed or advanced significantly since their inception. The tedious steps of manually counting and marking each shothole on a paper target is repeated in each patterning technique. Thus, there is a definite need for a patterning and analysis system which eliminates the manual step of counting, centering and analyzing the shotgun pattern on a paper target.